Improved shingle



Figa."

N. PETERS. PNOTWLITHOGRAFNH; WASHINGTON. DA c,

over lthe other;

ent l @they IIVIPROV'ED SHING-LB.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thb n n.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownl that I, JOHN Lewis, of the city and v State of N ew York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new' and useful Improvement in Shingles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description of the said invention, referencerbeing had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specioation, wherein- Figure 'l is an elevation of the shingles as laid one Figure 2 is a view of the back of one of the shingles; and

f Figure 3 is a vertical section of two ofthe shingles as laid in place upon each other.

Similar letters denote the same parts.

Shingled roofs are very much subject .to decay, especially when laid with sawed shingles, in consequence of the surface absorbing moisture, and the capillary attraction drawing the moisture up between the shingles, and into the lower ends of the said shingles. The outer suriace of the shingle, being expose-d to vthe atmosphere, dries quickly, while theI ends and under sur face remain damp; the consequence is, that the shingles rot away, particularly on the under side of the ends and the upper portions of the middle-of the shin- 'gles, upon which the ends of those next above re'st.

My invention is to obviate the foregoing difficulties, and make the shingle much more durable.-

Said invention consists in a shingle formed with a recess in the under side, at the lower and thicker end, so that there is an air-space between the lower end of one shingle and the surface of that below. Thereby the water will not be drawn by capillary attraction vup between the two shingles, and the wood at the end of the shingle that becomes satlnated with water will dry equally or nearly so on both the upper and under surfaces, so as to prevent the shingle warping or cracking or speedily rotting.

In the drawing, the shingle ais shown, with recesses formed at b'b, leaving a rib, c, to cover the joint of the shingle next below and these recesses are deeper nearer the middle ofthe shingle than towards the edges. Thereby the water running on' the end of one shingle, will be directed towards the middle of the nextbelow.

I make the end of the rib c bevelled, to aid that part in drying. See iig.`3.)

The edges ofthe shingles I forni bevelled, as shown at 'i i, so that one laps under the other. rhis enables me to hold down the edges of two shingles by one nail, introduced in the upper one of the lapping shingles, as seen at e e, thus allowing the shingles to expand or contract without the risk of splitting, and lessening the number of nailsrequired. y

I do not claim a shingle formed with aseries of flutes on the under side; but

What I claim,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 4 A shingle formed with the recesses b b and rib c upon the under side, .at the lower portion, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, I. have hereunto'set my signature, this 31st day of August, 1868.

JOHN LEWIS.

Witnesses: CHAs. HfSMITH, GEO. T. PINCENEY. 

